The Failed Gifts
by Abborro68
Summary: Jack is a demigod in love with a girl who has no idea how he feels. Will he get the chance to tell her?


**Hey guys this is my first Fanfic. I own none of PJO and Hoo. This is a oneshot based on a headcanon I ran across a few days ago.**

 **Feel free to critique and let me know what i can do better, Thanks.**

Jack hated crushes. They just complicated everything and were especially pointless for demigods in the middle of a war. But he couldn't help it. He was head over heels for Aubrey, the beautiful daughter of Apollo. She was even a year older that he was, which didn't help his chances. But no matter how hard he tried, he could neither shake it nor admit his feelings. Gah! Sure he could face down a dracaena with no doubts about what he was doing, but girls were a completely different kind of fear. So he settled for stealing for her. This came easy with Hermes, god of thieves being his dad, so he contented himself with making her smile without her knowing that the gifts were his. So, whenever she remarked to her friends that she wished she had something, he waited until the chance to get it and slip it onto her bed without anyone noticing. Slowly this became a comfortable pattern, more and more a daily pattern of life.

"Damn it, seriously, who keeps putting this stuff on my bed?" Aubrey asked dubiously. This had been going on for months now, and she still had no idea who it was. She'd even asked the Athena campers to see if they could find out, and still no results.

"It has to be a Hermes camper," She muttered to herself. "They're the only ones who could steal all this over and over." But who? And why? Those questions were driving her crazy. That being said, whoever it was had a knack for making the gifts something she had asked for. That was either slightly creepy or really sweet, she couldn't decide. Finally, she decided to just go and ask some of the Hermes kids if they had a clue who it was. First she tried asking the Stolls, but they were no help at all. They even tried to sneak a lit firecracker into her pants cuff, but she slapped it away and tried not to jump at the very loud CRACK. She asked everyone she could find, then she moved on to Jack. She'd never really talked to him at length in their classes together, but he'd always seemed decent compared to his siblings. He had a gift for piano, which she appreciated, though he had always seemed to think made him look girly. But she walked up to him lying in the hammock he'd slung between the cabin and a post in the ground and rapped her knuckles on the corner of the cabin to get his attention. He looked who it was and then hurriedly sat up and almost lost his balance in what she thought was a hilarious way. He regained his stability and lightly glared at her as she giggled for a few more seconds, then said,

"Hey Aubrey, what's up?"

"I've been asking around and I can't find out who's leaving things on my bed. There's been flip-flops, hair ties, candy, even watercolors, and I want to know. You wouldn't happen to know who it is would you?"

"Me? No clue. Sounds like whoever it is likes you though."

"Really? You think so?" She was beaming. She wasn't used to people liking her and the idea was making her smile uncontrollably.

"Definitely." He said. "Why else would someone give you all that?"

"I just... I don't know I just hadn't thought about it like that."

"Well, good luck finding the guy," Jack smiled.

"Thanks Jack." She answered and walked away, both curious and happy.

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" Jack whispered to himself. Now she's going to be looking for people who are acting like they like her. You're so stupid." He hit his forehead with his palm repeatedly. He finally decided to go down to the practice arena to clear his head. Fighting always seemed to have the answer waiting for him amid the practiced swings and combos. Heading away from the cabins, sword on hip, he started trying to think about other people, anyone but her. He had to tell her eventually, he reasoned. It would just hurt more to watch her date someone else, so he had to try. Reaching the arena, he drew the sword and moved to the dummies in the center. Strangely nobody else was here, but he ignored that. Swiping his blade across the first dummy, he created a clean gut wound, and following through he quickly beheaded the dummy and then kicked its cloth chest to send it skidding away. He had to tell Aubrey. The thought intruded on his mind as he turned to the 2nd dummy. Im going to do it before this gods forsaken war was over, but it has to be in the right place. Maybe after he saved her life or as he was wounded and she was tending to him in the field hospital. Something heroic he decided. Just then the conch horn sounded. Cold fear ran through him. At this time of day, there shouldn't be a reason to gather other than an imminent attack. He started running toward the lunch pavilion sword in hand, but as he got closer, he saw the tables of armor and knew this would be more interesting than a simple attack. As he and the rest of the campers (minus the Ares cabin, the stubborn jarheads) reached the pavilion Chiron stomped his hoof on the marble floor, creating instant silence. Looking to his right, Jack easily saw Aubrey's soft brown hair and beautiful features. Shaking his head quickly, he looked back to the front.

"Heroes, the gods call us to action. Percy has informed me that as the god fight Typhon, the entrance to Olympus has been left virtually unguarded. And so he requests our aid. There is no overstating the gravity of this situation. As we speak the armies of Kronos march on New York, and we are the only protection available. So prepare as you must but we leave in half an hour. Fight well and fight as you have been taught. Count on each other and trust that the fates are forgiving today. That is all."

With that, he turned and galloped to the Big House to gather his weapons and armor, and the group dissolved.

Aubrey had checked and re checked everything, sharpened her weapons, restrung her bow at least 3 times, and had brushed up on everything she knew about medicine. She was with her cabin, posted at the bridge and getting tenser as the hours wore on. Why hadn't anything happened yet? Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching from behind. She recognized Jacks figure instantly as he ran up with his sword, shield, and of course his signature bandoleer of knives. He quickly set up post a few feet from her and then sat there, somehow looking perfectly at ease. She turned to him to ask what in Tartarus he was doing here instead of with his cabin, but a sudden movement flashed by her face, then a cry of pain drew her attention to her sibling behind her as an arrow seemed to sprout from his shoulder. He dropped and didn't move. Her instincts suddenly screamed for her to duck, and as she did another arrow whipped over her head and shattered a car window. She reflexively drew an arrow, nocked it, and fired back down the bridge. A wail confirmed a hit on something and that's when all hell broke loose.

For Jack, the next few hours turned into a blur. He swung his sword at anything he could reach, yelling challenges to every creature on the bridge to face him if they dared. And they did not hesitate to line up. He swung his sword with all the force he could, defeating monster after monster. Eventually he lost his shield as it shattered after a blow from one too many axes, and he was left with nothing but his weapon. But he never lost sight of Aubrey. He was determined that she not be hurt or killed today and he would make sure that happened. Finally, as the Apollo cabin was forced to give ground, Jack saw a fuzzy head towering above all others. The Minotaur. He swung his axe with deadly force, sending a camper flying over the edge of the bridge like a ragdoll, trailing red after her. And he was headed straight for Aubrey. She was desperately sending arrows at him, but they just seemed to make him mad. Jack rushed to her aid and jumped on the giant forms hairy back. That was the nastiest thing he had ever done. His nostrils burned and his eyes stung as he distracted the creature long enough for Aubrey to scramble away and then he was airborne. 1. 2. 3. He counted in his head how long he was up. Then he slammed into the pavement, feet away from the edge of the bridge, and he felt and heard a painful crack in his chest. His side exploding with pain, he tried to sit up but gasped as he fell back down. He was seeing red, then black, but he still felt the ominous footsteps of massive hooves bearing down on him. He would not die lying down. He repeated this as he slowly struggled to his feet and drew the only weapon he had left. A single hunting knife. He stood with it presented to the advancing horror, but one swipe from the axe knocked it away, and the second slammed into his shoulder.

Aubrey watched in horror as Jack was struck, then followed his path as he was flung toward and over her. Then she heard the wet crunch as he hit the ground. He didn't move. Blood flowed away from him, more and more. Then it finally stopped. Jacks eyes, now glazed, rested on her blankly.  
Jack felt the impact of the blade but he felt no pain. His body had already given up. But he couldn't. Not yet. He slammed into the ground, but didn't feel it. He dragged his eyes to the girl he had never gotten to admit his feelings to, then his vision faded to black.

"Ah another one" a male voice cracked "well where's your coin then?"

Aubrey limped into the doorway of the Apollo cabin. Two weeks had gone by since the battle of Manhattan. And the gifts had stopped.


End file.
